1 dead, 1 seriously hurt after multiple crashes on I-75 in Sumter County, FHP says
SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. - One person is dead and another seriously hurt after multiple crashes on Interstate 75 in Sumter County, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
Both crashes happened late Monday and caused the southbound lanes of the interstate to be closed well into Tuesday.
4 tractor-trailers involved in fatal crash on I-75
A 60-year-old man from Georgia died after a crash involving four tractor-trailers on I-75, according to FHP.
The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes near Wildwood.
A tractor-trailer traveling southbound failed to slow for traffic that was stopped for an earlier crash, and it collided with another tractor-trailer near mile marker 326, according to FHP.
The collision triggered a chain-reaction crash involving two more tractor-trailers, an FHP report said.
One of the truck drivers, a man from Georgia, was ejected from the vehicle, according to FHP. He was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
A second truck driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
The drivers of the other two tractor-trailers were not injured.
Multi-vehicle crash on I-75 sends debris onto road, backs up traffic
The fatal crash happened about an hour after a multi-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck.
That crash happened just before 10:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 325.
A tractor-trailer traveling south overtook and collided with a Ford F-350 that was towing a motorhome, according to the FHP report.
The tractor-trailer traveled off the roadway and stopped on the grassy shoulder, while the pickup truck came to a stop on the paved shoulder a short distance away, FHP said.
A motorhome was damaged in a multi-vehicle crash on I-75 in Sumter County on May 11, 2026. (Credit: Sergeant Steve Gaskins/Florida Highway Patrol)
The pickup truck's motorhome was severely damaged in the crash, causing debris to be scattered across the southbound lanes.
A Honda CRV that was also traveling south on I-75 hit some of the debris in the road, and the vehicle became disabled, troopers said.
None of the drivers involved in the crash were injured.
I-75 southbound closed for hours after crashes
A crash shut down all southbound lanes of I-75 in Sumter County. (Credit: Florida 511)
All southbound lanes of I-75 were closed for hours while crews worked to clear the crashes.
Traffic was backed up for miles during the closure.
Drivers were diverted onto State Road 44 at mile marker 329 while that stretch of the interstate was closed.
The Source: This story was written with information released by Florida Highway Patrol.